The Houston Astros took the final series of the year over the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 at Angel Stadium, losing in two back to back losses after an initial win. Even though the series ended in more disappointment, there was some optimism for Angels fans after seeing Mike Trout like his old self.
In the first game of the series, the Angels battled back from behind to win 4-3. In the top of the fourth inning, first baseman Christian Walker put the Astros on the board with a solo home run.
The Astros rallied off the momentum and went on to score off of a double by center fielder Zach Cole, which brought Yainer Diaz home. The Astros scored their third run of the inning in rare fashion, as the Angels’ Catcher Logan O’Hoppe attempted to throw Ramon Urías while attempting to steal second base. Cole successfully stole home, upping the Astros lead to 3-0.
The Angels however, gave the fans one last home game to remember, as over the course of the next five innings, the Angels would score four runs and shut out the Astros for the remainder of the game.
In the bottom of the fourth, designated hitter Mike Trout launched the multiple inning comeback with a solo home run to center field to make it 3-1. Then, in the bottom of the fifth inning, the promising 21 year old rookie shortstop Denzer Guzman hit an RBI double to bring Christian Moore home for the Angels second run. In the seventh, left fielder Chris Taylor got an RBI single to bring Guzman home to tie it up.
Then, a bright spot in a gloomy season appeared. As if he was back to his former self, Trout launched the ball into center field scoring the eventual game winning home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the Angels took the first game of the series 4-3.
However, the Angels’ success would be short-lived. They would go on to lose 6-1 in the second game of the series to what was an Astros home run clinic. The Astros scored the first two off a two run homer by Cole in the second, the next three in the fourth inning off a solo home run by first baseman Christian Walker and a two run shot by right fielder Jesús Sánchez making it 5-0.
The Angels finally found an answer through right fielder Jo Adell who was able to get the RBI to bring Trout in to bring the score to 5-1. As if the Astros hadn’t hit enough home runs, Walker put the emphatic cherry on the top with his second home run of the game in the ninth inning to end the game 6-1.
Unfortunately for the Angels, the final game of the series played out about the same way as the second, a whole lot of homers for Houston., but this time, at least one went the Angels way.
Astros catcher Yainer Diaz nailed one through the gap to get an early 0-1 lead. The lead was short lived though, as Trout, the standout player of this series for the Angels, hit his third home run of the series to tie it up, which may very well have been his last in an Angel uniform, but a great way to end the season for Trout nevertheless.
However, from that point, Houston took total control. The Astros responded in the fifth with three home runs of their own, the first a solo by Diaz that was closely followed by a two run homer that Urias belted into left field. To top it off, second baseman Brice Matthews hit another single solo home run to make it 6-1, and first baseman Victor Caratini hit the Astros’ final run of the game in the sixth.
The Angels got their final run of the season in the ninth, off an RBI single to center field by Carter Kieboom. This brought Jo Adell home, but Los Angeles couldn’t keep the momentum going as they fell short 6-2, ending the series 2-1 in favor of the Astros.
Although the series didn’t end the way Angels fans had hoped, Mike Trout’sthree homeruns felt like a win in many Angels fans eyes. Getting to see Mike Trout play like his former self once again is a treat that puts one last silver lining to their overall disappointing 2025 season.